


Awakening

by rachaellikestoread



Category: Suikoden
Genre: Abandoned Hospital Awakening, Blood, Clone Angst, Gen, Stabbing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-20
Updated: 2015-10-20
Packaged: 2018-04-27 08:01:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5040445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rachaellikestoread/pseuds/rachaellikestoread
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everything can change in the blink of an eye. A terrible decision must be made.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Awakening

The first thing I notice is the darkness.

Is it nighttime? 

I try blinking a few times, and breathe a sigh of relief as my eyes adjust. Yes, it's only nighttime. Or perhaps dawn, or dusk: a little light yet remains.

Where am I?

I feel groggy, as though I've been asleep for a long time. Instinctively, I lift my right hand. Yes, it's there--the faint yellow glow of the True Earth Rune.

_You'll be all right, Lord Sasarai. The Rune protected you from sustaining more damage._

Ah, yes. I was severely injured when the Adherents attacked the temple. When the doctors treated my wounds, they had me enter a coma. Recovery was supposed to take a couple of weeks...Or was it days? I can't remember.

But it's too quiet. Even without artificial life support, there should be other sounds. There's nothing, not even footsteps or voices. The air is too dry, too still.

I sit up slowly, and am relieved to discover that I can move immediately. A dull ache in my stomach tells me it's empty.

Where is everybody? A sinking feeling tells me I won't be getting any help soon.

I have no trouble pulling out my intravenous needle, getting out of bed, standing, or walking. Quick recovery from illness and injury is one of the percs of having a True Rune. I make my way to the door and step into the hallway.

Just as I expected, it's pitch-black and silent. Even at night, I should be able to hear footsteps and voices, but the air out here is as still as it was in my room.

I close my eyes and concentrate on the earth lying beneath and around the hospital wing. Unlike the "dead" stone and glass of my immediate surroundings, the soil, rocks, and sand down below normally yield to the plant and animal life living within. However, they, too, are absent of the sounds of life.

Suddenly, I am more hungry than curious or afraid, and I head in the direction of the nearest food source: the kitchen in the east hall. The floor is cold against my bare feet, and I walk quickly, wondering where I can get some clothes.

***

It takes several minutes, but I eventually find the kitchen. By now, the sun has risen enough for me to see in any room with a window. Unfortunately, there are no windows in here.

I feel around for the cupboards, hoping there will be some sort of non-perishable food item I can eat. I find a large pantry, reach inside, and pull out a can of some sort. If it's in a can, it should be safe...But how will I get it open?

I set down the can and feel around the room some more. Eventually, the light coming in from a room with a window is enough for me to see the outlines of things. I have to open a few drawers before I find a knife.

First, I try to saw the can open, which doesn't work. My stomach is being very loud at this point, and I'm going to faint if I don't eat soon.

I close my eyes and practice one of the deep breathing exercises the elders taught me. Inhale for four, hold for seven, exhale for eight. Inhale for four, hold for--

It's no use. Now both my stomach and the Rune are complaining. They need sustenance. Even the True Rune of Earth can't protect me from starvation forever. At least the IV drip kept me hydrated.

I remember, with a start, something that just might save me: the proper way to open a can with a knife. Who taught it to me? Nash? It doesn't matter. 

This time, I remind myself to be patient as I prod the can's lid with the knife. Eventually, I am able to work out how hard I need to hit the thin metal, and I'm able to create five or six tiny holes along the rim. I stick the tip of the knife into one of the holes, and manage to pry the can open.

It's canned pumpkin. I try not to gag as I force myself to eat it, discovering that it's not nearly as sweet as it smells. But even after I finish, I'm still hungry.

Some of my strength has returned, and patience comes much more easily as I pop open and devour the contents of a few more cans: condensed milk, cherry pie filling, and banana creme pie filling. Now I'm full--perhaps too full--and I feel sluggish.

_I'm sorry, Lord Sasarai, but you can't have any more. We have to ration everything._

I shake my head. Why did I remember that just now? Who said that to me? And when?

...It must have been during a campaign. Sometimes supplies grow scarce, and even a bishop has to make sacrifices.

But it's strange that I don't remember it.

I should take some canned food with me. Who knows what the situation is outside? This may be the only place where I can get food for a while.

As I reach for another can--chili beans this time--I notice something strange and unsettling.

There's no color--on the can labels, on the cupboards, on the stove, or even on myself--save for the golden glow of the True Earth Rune. Everything around me consists of nothign but various shades of gray.

I shudder. Haven't I seen something like this before?

_...a gray world..._

And in that moment, I realize I'm not alone. Something--yes, _something_ \--is watching me. A ghoul, maybe, or a zombie. Perhaps even--

My own cry interrupts my thoughts as I turn around to see a giant eye floating in front of me. It doesn't move, but I know that it's been sent to destroy me, or perhaps to deprive me of my Rune. Fortunately, it's not very strong. It's certainly nothing I can't handle.

I make quick work of the monster, but the encounter leaves me shaken.

_His eyes are everywhere. Especially on you, Sasarai._

What...What have I done?

Why would he be watching _me_?

Something's not right. There's something I'm forgetting.

... _sarai_...

Stop! Don't do this to me!

I start to run. There could be more of them here. I need to get out of the hospital. Maybe even out of the temple.

I feel that presence again, that feeling that something's watching me, but I can't stop. I don't want to see one of those things again, let alone fight it. If it really was sent by Lord Hikusaak, surely it wouldn't hurt me. After all, I'm Lord Hikusaak's--

\-- _clone_.

I fall to my knees, struggling to catch my breath.

Yes, it's true. I'm a clone. That's why I was created. But it shouldn't matter, right? Dios, Nash, even Lord Hikusaak...They all said it didn't matter. I'm human. Luc and I, we were both human.

_Forgive me, Sasarai. It was wrong of me to isolate him. I was afraid._

And I believed him. 

_I always considered you my son. My beloved child, Sasarai..._

I wanted to, _needed_ to believe him.

_I didn't want you to be treated differently from the other bishops. It wouldn't have been fair._

But what about Luc?

_It tore me up inside..._

And I've continued to serve him, all these years. But what happened while I was asleep?

"Give me strength," I whisper to the Rune. "Please. Give me the strength to escape this place."

The True Runes have wills. I can feel True Earth's soul right along with my own--

_Of course, Sasarai. You have a soul that is greater and purer than anyone else's._

Please, let it be so. 

_Believe, Sasarai._

Please...

I rise shakily to my feet. A cold sweat has broken out all over my body. I've visited this hospital enough times. Why can't I find the way out?

I step inside another room, and a sudden chill makes me shiver. It's freezing in here, and I think I know why.

My suspicions are confirmed when I notice that the walls consist of dozens of small metal doors, and that there is a table in the center of the room with--

"No," I whisper. "Please, no."

I sense True Earth's dread, along with its attempts to comfort and protect me from what is about to become clear. Even now, in this nightmare--please let it be a nightmare--it remains loyal to me.

The body is far too pale, and there appears to be a faint sheen of sweat on its skin. It's male, a little shorter and thinner than average.

_Don't look_. 

It's too late. I already know what it is. I start to back away. 

_Don't look, Lord Sasarai_.

Please, don't let me see its face.

_He got lost and wandered in here, Lord Sasarai. We'll take care of him._

Please!

_It was just a dream, Lord Sasarai. That child looked nothing like you._

It's Luc. Or is it me? No, it's another one.

How many of us are there?

_You are the remaining clone, Sasarai. You are everyone's hope. I will be watching over you, always._

Slowly, the creature with my face rises from the examination table. Its expression is blank, its features off-center somehow. The substance on its skin is not sweat, but some sort of mucus...or amniotic fluid.

"This isn't happening," I say, and try to close my eyes, but my eyelids won't budge, and neither will my legs. "It's a nightmare." I look around wildly. "He said there weren't any of you left! Where are the Runes? Why don't you have a Rune?"

My head. I can move my head. I look to my right to escape those soulless eyes--How can they be soulless? Didn't he say I had a soul?

"Oh, God, no!" 

There's another one. And when I look to my left, I see a third.

_He'll make as many as it takes..._

"No! Don't touch me!"

_...to find a suitable host..._

"I'll do whatever you want!"

_You were his most perfect vessel, Lord Sasarai..._

"Just stop looking at me! Don't touch me! Let me wake up from this nightmare!"

_Don't look, Lord Sasarai._

"Get a hold of yourself!"

His hands are on me, and his harsh, husky voice pulls me to safety.

"Sasarai, wake up! Come back to us!"

I blink at the face in front of me. "Geddoe?"

"Don't you remember what you said?" he demands. "You promised you wouldn't look away anymore! Are you going to go back on your word now, after all this time?"

And in that instant, it all comes rushing back to me.

That attack on the temple--it didn't happen a few weeks ago, but several hundred years ago. It was unsuccessful, but it sparked the rebellion against Hikusaak.

While I was recovering from my injuries, thousands of second- and third-class citizens rose up in revolution against both the first-class People's Faction and the Temple Faction. Backed by the Grasslanders, the Zexen, the Toran and Dunan republics, and even the Queendom of Falena and Island Nations, they attempted to take on the Holy Kingdom of Harmonia.

But they didn't count on Hikusaak's trump card, a secret spell of the Circle Rune even the most senior bishops were ignorant of: the ability to bring stagnation to the entire country.

I awoke in its aftermath, alone in a country that had suffered the loss of millions of lives in a single, silent blast that obliterated all traces of chaos, including life itself. Dios, Nash, Lena--all wiped out in an instant.

The only beings left alive within Harmonia's borders were myself and other True Rune bearers. I scavenged for days before finding Chris and Hugo. They, too, were in shock, having lost everyone dear to them as well. Their eyes were as empty and lost as I felt.

All we could do was find the other True Rune bearers and form a resistance. It was no longer about defeating Hikusaak. It was a game of survival, a test of time. We had to keep him from getting his hands on any more True Runes.

I no longer had any faith in the man who had sacrificed a nation of people who had loved and believed in him to defeat his enemies.

Nevertheless, he still found followers, Rune hunters who would do anything for a taste of the power he held. Over the centuries, the number of True Runes in his possession increased. Even the most ancient of Rune bearers fell: Lazlo, Leknaat, Sierra. Other Runes were passed on by their hosts, but eventually ended up in Hikusaak's hands.

I don't like the sympathy I see in Geddoe's eyes. I've sensed for a while that my mind is going. It seems that the more True Runes Hikusaak obtains, the weaker my grip on reality becomes. He's calling me, and soon, I know that I will lose the will to resist him. It's fortunate that Geddoe is with me; he has sworn to kill me if I ever try to return to Hikusaak's side.

Geddoe is now the oldest of the True Rune bearers, next to Hikusaak. Latoyia, the last descendant of the Falenan royal family and the bearer of the Sun Rune, is 326, and Siobhan, the present holder of the Dragon Rune, is 34. Both Geddoe and I are past our 700th years.

We are, as far as we know, the holders of the only True Runes that are not under Hikusaak's control.

***

"It may be the only chance of saving this world," Geddoe says.

It saddens me that it's come to this. Geddoe was, at one point, the most idealistic of all of us. He would never have agreed to such an idea, let alone be the one to suggest it. 

"Times have changed," I agree. "There are so few people left in the Grasslands now."

"There's not even much _grass_ left in the Grasslands," Latoyia adds.

"But...to destroy a True Rune..." Siobhan's voice is small and nervous. She's still not used to the duty of carrying a True Rune, as she only acquired it a few months ago. I feel for her. It must still feel like a parasite, providing her with no benefits, only burdening her with the responsibility for this world's dragons. "Can one be forgiven for such a thing?"

Latoyia places her hand on Siobhan's. "I know, dear. It's not a decision we can make in haste. Let's just think about it for now."

Siobhan's short, stocky stature makes me think of a child. And she really _is_. How can she even begin to comprehend how hopeful things were after the Second Fire Bringer War? How can she imagine the hundreds of thousands of people who once populated this continent? I've tried to explain to her what Crystal Valley was like in all its glory, and she told me that a place so heaven-like could never exist in this world.

She's right. Crystal Valley never was paradise, no matter how much I may wish it to have been so.

"It doesn't have to be mine, does it?" Siobhan looks around at Geddoe and me, at Latoyia and her attendents, Adella and Enid. "It doesn't seem right to let all the dragons die."

"Of course not." Latoyia, on the other hand, has a more motherly look, with a round face and gentle eyes. Adella and Enid are the present bearers of the Dawn and Twilight Runes, and they keep Latoyia's sanity in check.

I wish someone could keep mine in check, too.

"It should probably be mine or Geddoe's," I say. I look at Geddoe, challenging him. He must know what I'm thinking.

He nods. "I was thinking that, too. And as much as I'd like to volunteer..."

"I know, more or less, how to carry out the ritual," I finish. "Obviously, the odds are still against us. The Sindar ruins in the Grasslands--and it would have to be in the Grasslands, where it would result in the fewest deaths by far--have withered away to nothing, and the pedestals were originally designed to hold the five elemental True Runes. But True Lightning and True Earth are strong, and they have been with Geddoe and myself for hundreds of years. Furthermore, there is power in memories. If we go through with this, I will call upon the spirits of Luc, Chris, Hugo, and others who were there, the 108 Stars of Destiny, to give us the strength we need."

"But there's only four of you," Adella says. "I thought five Runes were needed to carry out the ritual."

"Five Runes is ideal," I agree, "but we're just going to have to do it with four. It should be possible. We have to try."

"No, you don't."

All of us turn toward the source of the voice, although only Geddoe and I know who it is. You don't forget the voice of someone like him.

It's been almost 600 years since I saw him last, and he still hasn't changed.

"My, my, this is nostalgic." He eyes us one at a time, drawing a different reaction from each person: Geddoe stares back impassively, Siobhan shrinks with fear, Latoyia sighs wearily, Adella sends him a defiant glare, and Enid looks mildly amused, as usual. "To think I would find you, of all people, Geddoe, having this conversation. You stopped the last person who made this attempt--quite adamantly, I might add."

Geddoe shrugs, ever the stoic. "That was then. This is now."

"And you." He turns to me with a mocking bow. "My lord Bishop."

"I'm not a bishop anymore, Yuber," I tell him.

"Ah, yes." He pulls the brim of his hat over his eyes and sneers. "I did hear a few years ago about you turning traitor. How heartbreaking that must have been for High Priest Hikusaak, to have both of his puppets turn against him."

I shake my head. "If you came here just to try and insult me, Yuber, you're going to have to think of a better one than that. I have no regrets about leaving Hikusaak."

Yuber snorts and smiles wickedly at Siobhan. "And who's this little dumpling? I don't believe we've met."

"S-S-Siobhan." She looks helpless, like a discarded toy. "B-b-b-bearer of the Dragon Rune. Pleased to make..." She swallows quickly. "...your acquaintance."

"What do you want with her, demon?" Adella demands, drawing her sword.

"'Demon'? How rude. And after all the trouble I took to track the lot of you down." He sits in one of the chairs and waits a few moments, clearly delighted with our impatience. "Out of the goodness of the black abyss I have in place of a heart, I have decided to aid you all in your quest to destroy a True Rune. It's what I live for, after all."

"Really?" I stare at him with what I intend to be mock innocence. "But the resulting deaths will be far fewer than would have been the case in 475."

He shrugs. "Killing hardly gives me the pleasure it used to. Everyone's become so weary, so pessimistic. They don't even put up a fight."

"Monster," Adella seethes, and Enid nods in agreement.

"Different strokes and all that. Your hands aren't exactly bloodless, either." He gives her an almost self-deprecating smile, which looks very out of place. Unsettling, in fact. "The truth is, I'm bored. I've tried to end it more times than I can count, but this damn Rune won't let me. I bet you never knew the most chaos-aligned Rune would cling so desperately to life."

"It makes sense," Enid says slowly. "Life is a sort of chaos, isn't it?"

"You understand me, I see. Good. That will make this simpler." He points to me. "Destroy your True Earth Rune, Sasarai. Even if it doesn't work, the energy released just might be enough to kill Hikusaak once and for all. And when it comes down to it, that's what you all want, right?"

Nobody speaks. He knows there's nothing we can say to deny it. We can only hold out for so long. Once Hikusaak has all the True Runes in his grasp, it's over. And with the way things are going, he will outlive us all.

"Heads he wins, tails we lose," Adella mutters.

"But everything comes to an end sooner or later," Enid says. "Even if this world is saved, a stray space rock could wipe out all life as we know it the very next day."

Siobhan covers her face, and Latoyia rubs her back soothingly.

"If that happens, nothing will matter," Yuber says. "It won't matter that we destroyed a True Rune, either. Although to be honest, I don't know if I'd be allowed to die even then. I'm not exactly keen on being the last living thing in the universe."

Siobhan lifts her head. There are tears in her eyes. "Not the universe," she insists. "Just this planet. Life will never end. It will go on forever! Even if this world ends--"

Her optimism reminds me of Hugo. I look at Geddoe, and I know he's thinking the same thing. We have lived for far too long.

"Siobhan," I say, "you don't have to do this. Now that Yuber has kindly volunteered to step in, we can go with our original plan of using four Runes." I give her my best smile, although it's not genuine, and I think she knows this.

She looks miserable. "I didn't ask for this," she whispers, and the tears in her eyes roll down her cheeks. "I don't understand why the Rune chose me. I'm not the strongest, or the smartest, or the bravest. By far. I've never even ridden a dragon."

Yuber rolls his eyes, and I want to slap him.

"Of course you didn't," Latoyia says kindly. "None of us asked to be chosen by these Runes. You must go with what your heart tells you, young one. The Dragon Rune trusts you. It won't choose a soul that it doesn't trust."

"Try telling that to the Eightfold Rune," Yuber grumbles.

"Are there any more True Runes that Hikusaak doesn't have?" I ask him. He shakes his head. "Then I guess I should congratulate you, Yuber. You are officially the oldest True Rune bearer left in this world, next to H--"

"I'm older than Hikusaak," he interrupts. "I'm not just the oldest True Rune bearer. I'm the oldest living thing left on this dead planet. No congratulations needed."

I don't know why, but I laugh. Everyone stares at me, including Yuber. It's nice to know he can still be surprised.

"Wait a minute," I say.

I close my eyes and reach deep into myself, into both my soul and the will of the True Earth Rune. After all, I'm not the only one who will be affected by this decision.

My poor, gentle True Earth Rune is maternal at its core. That's not to say it always favors the peaceful course. A mother bear will tear a man apart to protect her children, and True Earth is the same. But all living things _are_ the earth's children. It's not ready to give up this world just yet.

I have made my decision.

"Well, I don't know about the rest of you," I say, "but I'm in. Even if the only people to help me are Geddoe and Yuber. The rest of you should leave, and try to get as many people out of the area as possible. It shouldn't be too difficult to at least let them know they have a choice. Enid, how many people can you teleport at once?"

"About a dozen," Enid answers.

"That'll have to do. There shouldn't be more than a couple thousand people here, and many of them will refuse to leave. Wasteland or not, this is their home."

_...Come home, Sasarai._

I slouch in my seat. The day my True Rune is destroyed can't come soon enough. "So what are the rest of you going to do?"

"I'll help you," Latoyia says. 

"Me...Me, too," Siobhan agrees.

I turn to them. "You do know that you will likely be killed as well?"

They both nod.

"I shouldn't have been a True Rune bearer to begin with." Siobhan rubs her eyes. "As long as the dragons get to keep living, I don't mind dying. My body will return to the earth and feed new life. My soul will find a new body. What is there to fear?"

"It's about time we put this old family line to rest." Latoyia puts her arm around Siobhan. "I never thought I would get to feel like a mother again. I can die in peace with you at my side."

"What about us?" Adella asks.

"You're free to go, both you and Enid. Just try to get as many people out as possible. Sasarai, how far would you say is far enough?"

"The Island Nations is a good bet," I tell her. "They could always use a population boost." I remember Viki and sigh fondly. Teleporting an entire village would have been child's play for her. "But seriously, the farther away you can get them, the better. It's no exaggeration to say that this ritual could wipe the entire continent off the map."

"But we don't know for sure," Geddoe reminds us. "As far as we know, this ritual has never been carried out."

"One more thing." I'm surprised to feel tears form in my eyes. "The first phase of the ritual involves the four of you placing your True Runes on each of the four pedestals throughout the area. This will weaken you a great deal. But if one of you, any of you, could come to the center to be with me when I die, I would appreciate it."

Latoyia is the first to volunteer. "I'll do it. I feel like I've known you forever, Sasarai. In a way, I guess I have."

"I'll be with you, too." Siobhan raises her hand. "I don't want to die alone, either."

Geddoe nods. "In a way, I suppose I'm responsible for all this. I'll join you, Sasarai."

I look at him. He's been there the whole time, first working under me, then teaching me the ways of the world as I joined him in his cause. There was a time when I would have thought there would be no love lost between us if anything happened. Now I know better.

"Thanks, everyone," I say, but I don't turn away from him.

Yuber groans. "Fine. I'm not going to be the only one to just sit and wait for death."

I swear I see the hint of a smile on Geddoe's lips.

***

There isn't much of a ceremonial site left, and Geddoe and I have to rely on memory to find the right places to put the Runes. The pedestals for the True Earth and True Lightning Runes have been ground to mere nubs, and the pedestals for True Water and True Fire are completely gone. Oddly enough, the pedestal for True Wind remains.

I went back and forth for several hours on whether to carry out the ritual in the center, or at the True Earth Rune pedestal. In the end, I assigned the True Earth pedestal to Siobhan and reserved the center pedestal for myself. This place is replete with the memories of battles past, and I can already sense Luc's soul in the cool breeze.

_Sasarai._

I close my eyes tightly and remind myself of all the people I'm doing this for.

_Sasarai, come to me._

I'm doing this for the earth, and yes, for my True Rune, who wishes to die (can a Rune die?) before witnessing the deaths of its children. I'm doing it for all the people who remain, the people who will vanish, like all other anomalies, if the 27 True Runes are gathered.

_It's not too late, Sasarai._

For the True Rune bearers of the past: Hugo, Chris, Lazlo, Tir, Leknaat, Sierra, even Riou, Jowy, and Windy. For the present True Rune bearers: Geddoe, Latoyia, Siobhan, and Yuber.

_Let me forgive you. Let me love you._

For the countless lives Hikusaak took from Harmonia, the Grasslands, Zexen, Toran, Dunan...

_I can bring Luc back to you. I can give you the family you always wanted._

...for Dios, Nash--

_\--Nash, and Lena. I can bring them all back. Once I have the 27 True Runes, I can give you everything._

No. He's lying. I know he's lying.

_Believe, Sasarai._

Even now, I want it so badly to be true. For my whole life to have been one long nightmare. For me to start over, be born as a normal child with a normal brother in a normal family.

What's happening? I can't...

_Yes, my good son. Take my hand, and I'll lead you home. You can finally awaken from this nightmare._

...That's right. I was born to love and serve Lord Hikusaak. I am his most cherished treasure, his most--

A stabbing pain cuts through me, and I fall to my knees.

"Not a second to spare," a voice remarks. "Pathetic."

A sword protrudes from my stomach. A dark stain is spreading across my shirt.

"Yuber," I gasp.

"You'll live long enough," he says. "That Rune is tough."

"Th-thank you."

"Are you going to wait for the others? Maybe you should do it now, so he won't get you again. You can't resist him anymore, can you?"

I try to laugh, but it sounds more like a gurgle. "I'm dying. There's not much Hikusaak can do about that. Even if I don't carry out the ritual, the True Earth Rune will be released and he'll have to hunt for it himself."

"Sasarai!"

Geddoe, Latoyia, and (bless her heart) Siobhan are running toward me.

"Devil!" Siobhan screams. "What have you done?"

"I had to." Yuber stares at her, expressionless. "He would have returned to Hikusaak. And that would have fucked the whole thing up."

Latoyia looks exhausted, but she forces herself to smile. "Well, that's not what you would have wanted, either, right?"

"He did the right thing," I say, and wink at Siobhan. "I'm sorry you had to see this."

Siobhan would have been a good host for the True Earth Rune.

I look from one face to the next. This is it. These are the people I've chosen to die with. I suppose I should say something.

"Several hundred years ago, a young man, weary of his existence as a vessel for the True Wind Rune, tried to end his own life by destroying it. He had other reasons, too. From the time he was a child, he had been tormented by visions of the ultimate fate of the world. If Hikusaak gathered all 27 of the True Runes, he would use that power to bring about his perfect world: a world entirely absent of color or sound. A silent world, a gray world. A world of complete order and peace, but with no one to enjoy it, for life itself breeds chaos, just as chaos breeds life.

"That man was one of two copies Hikusaak created of himself. I was the other one. His name was Luc, and something went wrong with his creation. The True Wind Rune..." I close my eyes. Did I say this already?

"It was entangled with his own soul," Geddoe says.

"Right. And I..." I force my eyes open again, and Geddoe pulls me to my feet. "I only met him a few times. Every time, he defeated me, but didn't kill me. He was my enemy. I hated him, for humiliating me and for taking so many lives. He would have taken even more, if we hadn't stopped him. I don't regret our actions that day, even if they led to his death. But I...I yearned for him all the same. He was the closest thing I had to a brother.

"There are people left in this world." I realize I'm crying, but nobody tries to stop me from speaking. "There are people who have families. Simple people who were never meant to do anything noble or self-sacrificing. People who should never have to fight. It's for those people that I'm doing this.

"I'm glad to have met all of you. Even you, Yuber."

Yuber smirks at me, but I ignore him.

"Thank you. And goodbye."

I raise my right arm for what will be the final time.

"27 True Runes of Earth and Heaven, born of the Sword and the Shield, bear ye witness to the blood spilt by your kin! Runes of True Lightning, Dragon, Sun, and the Eight Scrolls, open the gates to your powers of untold destruction, and render True Earth into dust!

"True Lightning Rune, split open the sky and strike at the heart of the earth!

"Dragon Rune, unleash your fanged fury upon the rocks and sand!

"Sun Rune, let your harsh light scorch the soil and starve the roots of nourishment!

"Eightfold Rune, behold the true nature of all humanity, and delight in its grim destruction!"

It's more intense than anything I've felt before. I'm burning, I'm suffocating, I'm being ripped apart.

"Don't stop!" Geddoe shouts. His hands grip my shoulders. "I'll help you!"

Three more pairs of hands join his on my neck, my back, my hand.

"Luc!" I scream. "Leknaat, Sierra, Lazlo, Tir! Hugo! Chris! Give me strength!"

This is the end. My end. My body is being blown away.

_Sasarai, don't!_

"Dios! Nash! Lena!"

_Stop this, please!_

He's begging. The old bastard is begging. I never thought I'd witness it.

"True Earth Rune, be no more!"

It's over.

***

I don't know where I am.

There is a haze all around me, like a fog or a mist. No, that's not right. It's warm, like steam...No, that's wrong, too.

I'm aware of my body, but I can't see it. My senses are all mixed up. The atmosphere around me feels bright, but not harsh, and looks both warm and cool at once. I can smell, rather than hear, the sound of the wind. I hear the texture of earth. And I feel...

I feel Luc, all around me, like an embrace, and in me, too, like a secret I've kept locked away in my heart. I wonder if this is another dream, or perhaps a trick.

And I know it's different. This isn't Hikusaak telling me what I want to hear. All the doubt and fear I always carried with me is gone. I do have a soul of my own. It was always there, side by side with that of the True Earth Rune.

I've never felt like anything was so clear and simple to me as it is now. I am in a state of pure existence. I can sense all those lives around me--Luc, Dios, Nash, and all the rest. Even the will of what was once the True Earth Rune. There are hundreds of billions of us, and I feel everyone at once, orbiting around me, pressing into me, taking me into them.

I don't know if we saved the world. But it is still turning, and life goes on. I know now that regardless of what we do, it will one day come to an end, by order or by chaos.

It's all right. I understand that now, just as Luc did. Everything will become one, before drifting apart again. 

Light and darkness. Life and death. Order and chaos. The beginning and the end. Activity and inactivity. Everything in the universe has two sides, two natures, two ends. It's how it has always been, and how it always will be.

All around me is life, color, music, sensation. I feel myself begin to expand, taking in everything, and the border between myself and the other souls begins to fade. I feel everything. I _am_ everything.

I'll never be alone again.

END

**Author's Note:**

> Special thanks to Suckoden for her idea of destroying one of the True Runes.


End file.
